In The News September 8, 2024

Heading Back To The Office? Here Are 5 Ways To Make The Most Of It

Avery Shields

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In The News September 1, 2024

The Loneliness Epidemic Has a Cure

Avery Shields

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Survey report August 22, 2024

Disconnected: The Growing Class Divide in American Civic Life

Daniel A. Cox, Sam Pressler

Disconnected: Places and Spaces presents new survey findings that suggest Americans are less connected than ever before. Continue Reading →

Survey report September 28, 2023

America’s Crisis of Confidence: Rising Mistrust, Conspiracies, and Vaccine Hesitancy After COVID-19

Daniel A. Cox, M. Anthony Mills, Ian R. Banks, Kelsey Eyre Hammond, Kyle Gray

Young man sitting in a dark room before a wall featuring various conspiracy theory-related items illuminated by a computer screen

America is experiencing a crosscutting crisis of expertise and scientific distrust accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic that poses significant challenges to democratic debate and public decision-making Continue Reading →

Blog July 17, 2023

What the Rise in Dog Attacks Signals About the State of America’s Social Capital

Daniel A. Cox

In the wake of the pandemic, the increase in both dog attacks and individual antisocial behavior seems to be a consequence of our deteriorating social capital. Continue Reading →

Commentary June 7, 2023

The Price We’ll Pay for Our AI Future: More Loneliness

Daniel A. Cox

image of a man sitting before a cyber-like face

Americans are trapped in a loneliness epidemic. Across the country, people are having fewer social interactions, spending more time alone, and reporting fewer close friends. Continue Reading →

Commentary April 11, 2023

American Politics Needs a New National Purpose

Daniel A. Cox

President John F. Kennedy delivers his famous “We Choose to Go to the Moon” speech at Rice University on September 12, 1962. (Source: NASA)

The United States seems to have lost its way as a country. Americans have generally low regard for our political leaders, little faith in our institutions, and even less in each other. Our politics are defined by acrimony and division. Continue Reading →

Blog March 15, 2023

Despite Professional Successes Many Women Still Experience Imposter Syndrome

Daniel A. Cox, Kelsey Eyre Hammond, Jessie Wall

a series of cartoon women in business casual attire on a white backdrop.

Women in the professional world are thriving and have been pulling ahead of men for years. Confidence in job performance however, remains lower than men of their same age. Continue Reading →

Event January 30, 2023

Reorganized Religion with Bob Smietana

Kyle Gray

Cover of Bob Smietana's book Reorganized Religion

America’s rapidly changing religious landscape has spurred many questions about the cause of its decline and predictions about what the future holds. In his new book, Reorganized Religion: The Reshaping of the American Church and Why It Matters (Worthy Publishing, 2022), Religion News Service’s Bob Smietana follows the decline of mainstream Christian denominations, the rise of “disorganized disbelievers,” and how politics shapes religious communities and what this means for the the future of our civil society. Continue Reading →

Commentary December 20, 2022

Why Americans are Spending Less Time with Friends — And What to do About it

Daniel A. Cox

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 24: People sit and have a picnic in Washington Square Park during a heat wave on July 24, 2022 in New York City. The five boroughs of New York City are under a heat advisory until 8 PM on July 24th according to the US National Weather Service. Much of the East Coast is experiencing higher than usual temperatures as a heat wave moves through the area forcing residents into parks, pools and beaches to escape the heat. (Photo by Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images)

A full work week. Hours on housework, yard work, time spent with your kids or partner. Then there’s all the time we spend online. Where is the time for friends? Continue Reading →

Survey Reports

Daniel A. Cox, Jae Grace, Avery Shields
April 27, 2026

Strangers Next Door: The Decline of Neighborhood Socializing and the Class Divide in Belonging

Acknowledgment The American Enterprise Institute’s Survey Center on American Life is grateful to the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation for its generous support of this research. As Americans spend more of their time online, the neighborhood—once a primary physical location for real-world socialization—is playing less of a central role than ever before. Since Continue Reading →

Daniel A. Cox, Kelsey Eyre Hammond
November 20, 2025

Individuality and Moral Behavior: A Generational Divide in Moral Judgments and Self-Expression

Younger and older Americans increasingly disagree on the morality of certain behaviors, reflecting deep shifts in views about individuality, self-expression, and the role of community and faith. Continue Reading →

Daniel A. Cox
July 2, 2025

America’s Cultural Crossroads: Enduring Discontent, Rising Disconnection, and an Uncertain Future

A new survey from the Survey Center on American Life shows Americans are changing course on major cultural issues—from immigration and gay rights to gender roles and public trust. Continue Reading →

Daniel A. Cox, Kelsey Eyre Hammond
January 29, 2025

Romantic Recession: How Politics, Pessimism, and Anxiety Shape American Courtship

A new report by the Survey Center on American life finds that safety concerns and declining trust are reshaping modern dating, leaving many singles feeling pessimistic about their prospects. Sharp gender divides in attitudes toward dating apps, trust, and relationships reveal how these challenges are redefining the search for connection. Continue Reading →

In the news

April 17, 2026

The Donald J. Trump Guide to Classic Fairy Tales

April 12, 2026

Is Masculinity in Crisis? These TV Shows Suggest Yes

April 1, 2026

Boys are Pulling Away. Mentorship Can Bring Them Back

March 31, 2026

The Real Religious ‘Renewal’ Happening in Gen Z